Get in the Game 2.0 - First United Methodist Church of Gadsden

Money Matters

September 29, 2024 • Rev. Sherri Reynolds

This is our last week of Get in the Game, a sermon series about discipleship with illustrations from the football field. This week we focus on money, and money seems to be the focus of many these days, especially college football. College football generates billions of dollars annually through tickets, television rights, vendors, and endorsements. Players can now receive capital gain through name, image and likeness. Coaches are often the highest paid state employee in each state. Add to the mix the millions poured into a local economy and a university around a major program. It doesn’t take long to see that money matters in the world of sports. Money matters in our spiritual lives as well. Money can be a barrier to our relationship with Jesus or can be avenue to grow in generosity and giving. Our resources can be an idol or an opportunity to love our neighbor. It can cause envy and greed or provide a path of fostering ministry. Jesus had a lot to say about this topic. Take for instance the Sermon on the Mount, particularly Matthew 6:19-21. He taught that where your treasure is your heart is also. Do your heart and treasure align? This is something for us to ponder as we grow as followers of Jesus. Go team FUMCG! Rev. Sherri

Money Matters

September 29, 2024

This is our last week of Get in the Game, a sermon series about discipleship with illustrations from the football field. This week we focus on money, and money seems to be the focus of many these days, especially college football. College football generates billions of dollars annually through tickets, television rights, vendors, and endorsements. Players can now receive capital gain through name, image and likeness. Coaches are often the highest paid state employee in each state. Add to the mix the millions poured into a local economy and a university around a major program. It doesn’t take long to see that money matters in the world of sports. Money matters in our spiritual lives as well. Money can be a barrier to our relationship with Jesus or can be avenue to grow in generosity and giving. Our resources can be an idol or an opportunity to love our neighbor. It can cause envy and greed or provide a path of fostering ministry. Jesus had a lot to say about this topic. Take for instance the Sermon on the Mount, particularly Matthew 6:19-21. He taught that where your treasure is your heart is also. Do your heart and treasure align? This is something for us to ponder as we grow as followers of Jesus. Go team FUMCG! Rev. Sherri

The Game Has Changed

September 22, 2024 • Rev. Sherri Reynolds

Sermon Notes: Thursday, Sept. 19 & Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024 Many folks are lamenting all the changes in college football. NIL (Name Image and Likeness) and the transfer portal have had a gigantic impact on the game. This will be the first year of a new playoff structure, allowing for more teams in the playoffs. There has been a lot of shifting with the SEC and Big Ten. These are just some of the changes to college football. Just like with life, there is change. This is a constant in our ever-evolving world. The church is not immune to change too! It is likely that the church of today is not the church that you once knew. Some of these changes are lamented and some are celebrated. While the church may encounter change, my prayer is that the fundamentals remain the same. The mission should remain to make disciples of Jesus. (Matthew 28: 16-20). No matter what comes our way, good or challenging, I pray that Christ’s Church keeps her eyes on sharing with the world the love of God found in Jesus. Go Team FUMCG! Rev. Sherri

The Game Has Changed

September 22, 2024 • Rev. Sherri Reynolds

Coaches Don't Retire

September 15, 2024

Sermon Notes: Thursday, Sept. 12 & Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 It is a new season and a new series to kick off the season: Get in the Game 2.0. With so many folks living and breathing football this time of year, I thought it would be fun to spend some time with the Bible using illustrations learned from the football field. This is not a sermon series on football, but rather a sermon series about discipleship with some football illustrations thrown in for fun. This year, many of you lamented when Nick Saban announced his retirement. After his legendary career, he is now pursuing other interests beyond coaching. You can still find him as a commentator, spokesman, businessman, and philanthropist. While he may have retired as a football coach at the University of Alabama, he is still far from the retirement home. What do we have in common with Nick Saban? We really don’t retire either. The work of followers of Christ continues from when we commit to follow Jesus until we meet him in heaven. Why? Because the harvest is plentiful, and the workers are few. The Good News is that God promises fruitfulness and vitality as we serve him. (Psalm 92). Go Team FUMC!

Coaches Don't Retire

September 15, 2024 • Rev. Sherri Reynolds

Sermon Notes: Thursday, Sept. 12 & Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 It is a new season and a new series to kick off the season: Get in the Game 2.0. With so many folks living and breathing football this time of year, I thought it would be fun to spend some time with the Bible using illustrations learned from the football field. This is not a sermon series on football, but rather a sermon series about discipleship with some football illustrations thrown in for fun. This year, many of you lamented when Nick Saban announced his retirement. After his legendary career, he is now pursuing other interests beyond coaching. You can still find him as a commentator, spokesman, businessman, and philanthropist. While he may have retired as a football coach at the University of Alabama, he is still far from the retirement home. What do we have in common with Nick Saban? We really don’t retire either. The work of followers of Christ continues from when we commit to follow Jesus until we meet him in heaven. Why? Because the harvest is plentiful, and the workers are few. The Good News is that God promises fruitfulness and vitality as we serve him. (Psalm 92). Go Team FUMC! Rev. Sherri Reynolds